Air-screen.



H. H. CUMMINGS.

AIR SCREEN. APPLICATION FILED JULY l0. 19:3.

Patented Sept. 24, 1918. 4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I'll/ll. z

. m JmWMNI & 2 wi y 2% W H. H. Cl JMMlNGS.

AIR SCREEN.

APPLICATION man JULY 10. l9l3.

0Q WH m y l Q H l 2 7 R I %m 0 Q F l M A N m H m m J $6 k \R a h m m I 6% P v Z V I mm T il Q I I lllllllllllllllllllllll ll! E Imwemfiaaww Henry fatness e s H. H. CUMMINGS.

AIR SCREEN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I0. I913.

Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ZLIIIIIII I II I Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4- Imwemia a": Henryfl iwmmm' ufifiqys H. H. CUMMINGS.

' AIR SCREEN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY l0. l9l3.

'IIIIIIIIIIIJIIIIIIIIIII/III 7162877286606 m ciozflw doorway frame 5' providedwith doors 7, 7

UNITED STATES,

HENRY i1. cimnrmes, or nnw'ron, mnssncnosnr'rs.

AIR-SCREEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented se 241., rats.

Application filed .1 uly 10, 1913. Serial No. 778,303.

1911; and among other objects provides improvements in mechanism for producing the air screen, and ventilation and other devices cooperating therewith One of thee-important uses .of the invention is as a substitute for the revolving doors -which are commonly used in the doorways of hotels, stores and other places to keep out drafts and dust. These doors are objectionable for a number of reasons. Among i others, they are slow and dan erousLin operation, being liableto impe e, catch and injure persons passing through them.

The air screen. to be described enables the door to be left'wide open and unobstructed so that persons may pass freely therethrough without hindrance or 'dan er and at the same time constitutes a su cient barrier to prevent drafts and dust from entering the The character of the invention may be best understood by reference to the follow-- ing description of an illustrative embodi ment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a transverse section through a room having a door way equipped with an illustrative air screen the invention, y

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 2+-2 of Fig. 1;

apparatus embodying Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken 'on' line 33 of Fig.2

Fig. 4. is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 5 and 6'on an'enlarged' scale are sectional details to. be referred to. Referring'to'the drawing,'.'1 designates a room having a vestibule 3 in which is a hinged thereto, more fully: hereinafter described.

Am i illustrative: apparatus for produc ng an air screen or veil in theform of a sheet of air flowing from the top of the doorway downward to the threshold of the doorway will now be described. This apparatus includes an aper tured threshold in the door- .Way frame, herein in the form of a grille plate 9 (Fig.- 2) of metalor other suitable material set in the base of the doorway frame and communicating with an inlet duct 11 leading to one'or more. fans 13 of usual construction driven by an electric motor or other suitable source of power not shown. To receive the air from the fans there is provided a horizontal duct 15 extending beneath and parallel to the threshold plate 9 and communicating with risers 17 (Figs. 1

. and 4:) registering with mouths 19 in the threshold plate 9, referred to.

The air is sucked by the fan down through the grille threshold 9 through the duct 11 and forced by the fan through the duct 15, thence upwardly through the risers l7 and plate months 19.

An important feature of the invention relates to'simple and eflective means for con- .ducting the air from said mouths to the top of the doorway. To this end the doors .7 referred to are made hollow to constitute air conducting passageways 21. A usual door may be readily equipped with such a passageway by super-posing on a face thereof a three sided box or compartment 23.

(Fig. 6) preferably having a glass panel 25 opposite the glass panel of the door proper. To permit convenient access to-the interior ofthis compartment it may be connected to closed position by an appropriate latch 29.

Registering with the passageways thusformed in the doors are upper hollow risers 31'communicating with-a horizontal passageway 33, the latter in turn communicating with an elongated hood or discharge outlet 35 extending substantially the entire width of the doorway To assistin directing andicontrolling the air discharged from thisv outlet'itimay be.

provided with a series of deflecting vanes 37 fulcrumedon pins. 38 mounted in the hood and held in their positions of adjustment by their frictional engagement with said pins. As shown herein, these vanesradiate from the entrance end. ofthe hood toward the discharge end. r y I To control and distribute the air entering the inlet. duct 11 it may be provided with I and flared laterally properly to deliver the air therefrom.

\ the door proper by hinges 27 and secured in series of vanes 39 fulcrumed on pins secured in said duct 11 and held in different positions of'adjustment by their frictional engagement with said pins. To prevent leakage of air between the hollowdoorways and the risers with which they communicate the doors may be provided 4 at their upper and lower ends with adjustableinternal sleeves 40 (Fig. 5). The. outer edges of these sleeves may be of rubber or other appropriate Weatherstrip material to i insure tight closure. After the doors have been opened the sleeves are slid outward to their position shown in Fig. 1 and when it is desired to close the doors the sleeves may be slid inward. To permit these adjustments the air passage compartment 23 of each door is provided with elongated slots 41 (Fig. 5) through which project pins or handles 43 frictionally engaging the walls of the slots 41 suliiciently to hold the sleeves in their adjusted positions.

To look and unlock the doors in their open position their lower ends may be provided withpins 44 for entrance into corresponding holes in the threshold plates 9.

When the doors are swung to their open I positions as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and

the fans are started there will be maintained a circulation of air from the grille threshold inlet through theduct 11, horizontal duct 15, thence upward through the risers 17, door passageways 21, upper risers 31, horizontal passageway 33, and through the discharge outlet hood, the air passing thence downward across the open doorway in the form a of a sheet-like screen and entering the threshold. Thus a continuous circulation of air may be had, maintaining the air screen barrier across the open door for any length of time desired.

In use, more or less dirt may be drawn down through the threshold 9. To prevent this dirt from being circulated around and deposited on the heads of persons passing through the doorway a screen 45 or other appropriate air cleaning device may be interposed in the inlet duct 11. his will cause the dirt to be arrested and gravitate into a pocket 47 directly beneath th threshold 9. This pocket may be freed from the dirt accumulated therein when desired through va suitable door 49.

The hollow doors and the upward flow of air therethrough may be utilized for receivin and manipulating display devices of diflerent kinds. Herein there is introduced within the door vertical shafts 50 journaled flow of air through the door acts on thepropellers and cards and rotates the shafts and display'cards. The speed of these may in bearings in upper and lower brackets 50*- ing horizontally beneath the floor of the room to and communicating with a riser duct 57 shown herein as pro ecting upward a substantial distance into the room and provided at its upper end with adischarge horn 59. This horn may be stationary or rotative more effectually to distribute the air into the room as desired. To permit the rotation of the horn it may be mounted on ball bearings Gland be connected to a vertical shaft 63 driven by a propeller 65 through the medium of a series of speed reduction gears 67. The upward current of air in the riser 57 will act on the propeller 65 and cause the horn 59 to rotate slowly and distribute its contents in the rooml To control the "discharge of air from the fan through the duct 55 the latter may be provided with a valve or gate 69 which may be adjusted to permit the passage of any amount of air desired. This gate should be so regulated as to provide a sufficient fl'ow of air to maintain the air screen across the doorway and, at the same time permit a proper amount of air to be shunted through the duct 55 for ventilation and temperature controlling purposes.

The downward stream of air composing the air screen tends to drag downward along with it the air inside the room adjacent thereto. This creates a downward whirl or circulation of air which strikes the floor of the room directly back of the threshold 9 and may at times cause an objectionable-draft adjacent the floor of the room. To prevent this there is introduced in the floor of the A delivered and distributed into the room. Be-

tween these ducts there is interposed an a,d-'

justable door 68 which may be opened or closed to permit or prevent the passage of air into said duct 11.

To make certain that only pure air is delivered into the room there may be interposed in the duct 55 an air washing or cleaning apparatus shown conventionally at 7-1. This apparatus as shown herein comprises an endless apron 73 of appropriate screenin fabric mounted on upper and lower r0 lers 75 and 77,- the upper roller bemg journaled in ahousing 79 and the lower a heating apparatus 83 and a'cooling apparatus 85. The heating apparatus may com 10 tain tubes 87 heated by hot water, steam or other appropriate means. The cooling apparatus may comprise tubes 89 around which cooled water may be circulated. To permit either the heating or the cooling.

apparataus to be placed at will into active communication with the duct 55 there is provided a door 91 which may be swung from its position shown in Figs. 3 and 4: where it permits the air to pass through the cooling apparatus to an opposite position shownin dotted-dines in which it permits air to pass through the heating apparatus. Thus pure heated or cooled air may be delivered into the room as desired.

At night the air screen is shut off and the solid doors are closed, but during the day the solid doors are opened and form-air conducting passages for the air screen. Thus there are provided for the doorway air and solild doors which are interchangeable at wil Q It is not indispensable that all of. the features of the invention should be used conarately to advantage.

Having described one illustrative embodiment of the invention, without limiting the same thereto, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A room ventilating system comprising in combination an air intake adjacent the threshold of the entrance'of the room; a circulatory blower for creating a suction in said intake; an air conducting conduit for conducting air from said blower; and a discharge opening in said conduit for delivering air to the back of the room, whereby the direct flow of cold air through the en rance p of said room is intercepted. b0

2. A room ventilating system com rising in combination an air intake in the cor of the room extending substantially across the threshold of the entrance openin of the room and adjacent said threshol a circulatory blower for creating a suction in said intake; an air conductingconduit for conducting air from said blower; and a discharge opening in said conduit for delivering air to the back of the room, whereby the direct flow of cold. air through the door of said'room is intercepted.

3. A room ventilating and tem erature controlling system comprising in com ination an air intake in the'floor of the room extending substantially across the threshold of jointly since some of them may be used septhe entrance opening of the room and adjacent said threshold; a circulatory blower for creating a suction in said intake; an. air conducting conduit for conducting air from said blower; air heating means operatively interposed in saidco'nduit; and a discharge for said conduit removed from the entrance of said room, whereby the direct flow of cold 'air. through the entrance opening of said room is intercepted and diverted through said heating means'prior to entering said room.

4. In combination, a building having an opening-in one of its walls, means for directing a current of air downwardly across the opening, suction means comprising an intake located near the lower side of the opening for receiving said current of air, and a second suction mean also comprising an intake located near the lower side of the opening for intercepting the current of air that tends to create a draft adjacent the door of the building.

5. In combination, a building having an opening in one of its walls, means for directing a current of, air downwardly across the opening, suction means comprising an intake located near the lower'side of the opening forreceiving said current of air,

6. In combination, a building having an .opening in one of it walls, means for directing a current of a r from above down:

wardly across the opening, and suction means comprising an intake located near the lower'slde of the opening for rece ving the current of air, said suction means being arranged to discharge the air in the interior of the building.

7 In combination, a building having an opening in one of its walls, means for directing a current of air across the opening, and suction means comprising an intake located near an opposite side of the opening for receiving the said directed current of air, said suction means being arranged to discharge the air into the interior of the build- 1n In combination, a building having an "opening in one of its walls, means for di- .side of the'opening for receiving the current 'of air, said suction mean being arranged to discharge said air in theinteriorof the building, .and a suction intake 68 located near the lower side of said openingwithin the room of the building into which said opening leads, and means for changing the temperature of the air entering said suction tion, an air intake in the floor of the room extending substantially across the threshold of the entrance opening of the room and ad jacent said threshold, a circulatory blower for creating a suction in said intake, an air conducting conduit for conducting air from said blower, means operatively interposed in said conduit for changing the temperature of the air passing therethrough, and a discharge 15 for said conduit removed from the entrance opening of said room, whereby the direct flow of air through the entrance opening of said room is intercepted and diverted through said temperature changing means 20 prior to entering said room.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' HENRY H. CUMMINGS.

Witnesses: HENRY T. \VILLIAMs, ROBERT H. KAMMLER; 

